BBC bosses have issued a strong statement after Casualty viewers complained about a recent storyline that saw one of the characters telling colleagues that they are getting a double mastectomy.
In a recent Casualty episode, Sah, who is transgender, revealed to her peers that they're getting 'top surgery'.
They explained, "I booked time off because I finally got the date for my top surgery.
"Before you say anything, I know a double mastectomy is not to be taken lightly... for now at least, I’m just happy that I’ll look like the person I feel like on the inside.
"It’s been a long time coming."
141 complaints were received after the episode aired, leaving the BBC to release a statement.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster said, "Sah, who is trans and non-binary, joined the Holby Ambulance Service in October 2021.
"In this episode viewers hear Sah telling colleagues they have a date for this surgery.
"We hear from a colleague who questions if Sah is sure about this surgery, and from others who are supportive.
"We also see Paige struggle with this news as she has tested positive for the BRCA gene and is facing the same operation.
"Sah explains that they are not taking this lightly. Viewers will hear different perspectives on this subject in the future."
Casualty star Arin Smethurst, who plays Sah in the show, has previously praised the BBC for how they handled the topic.
"I am glad because they came in as the first regularly occurring trans character, and the first non-binary character," they told Digital Spy.
"And I think it it would have been very easy to be just be like 'this is what the character is' but that is a part of them and there are hundreds of other facets to them."
Casualty is on (most!) Saturdays on BBC One. The latest episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.
